New Center... & New Beginnings

On Saturday, The Center (for Southern Nevada's LGBTQ community) celebrated the grand opening of the Bob Forbuss Building in Downtown Las Vegas. Not only is it the new headquarters for The Center, but it also injects some new life into another Downtown Las Vegas neighborhood. That's why the courtyard filled up with people from throughout the community to witness the star-studded ribbon cutting.

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman and City Council Member Bob Coffin (whose district includes The Center) attended. And they gave some fairly brief remarks before the ribbon cutting. In Coffin's speech, he gave a very full-throated endorsement of LGBTQ equality. He's even hoping there will one day be weddings at The Center!









Also attending on Saturday were Rep. Dina Titus (D-Paradise) and Former Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Las Vegas). Both have long records of supporting Nevada's LGBTQ families. And The Center is now just around the corner from Dina Titus' new district office. Titus talked for a few minutes about her history HERstory with the local LGBTQ community, and about the fabulous new addition to Downtown Las Vegas. Oh, and she also sounded hopeful about SJR 13's passage and marriage equality coming to Nevada.







Even several state lawmakers headed down from Carson City for the grand opening. State Senator (and Center board member) David Parks (D-Paradise), Senator Pat Spearman (D-North Las Vegas), and Assembly Member James Healey (D-Enterprise) all pitched in for the ribbon cutting. And James Healey now has a meeting room named after him!

As mentioned above, there was a healthy crowd outside. Yet when they moved inside, they were stunned by the interior. Thanks to the support of many corporate, foundation, and other community sponsors, The Center now has a cafe inside, along with several meeting rooms (big and small!), a recreation center, staff work space, and even a new area designated just for testing and treatment for HIV/AIDS and other STDs.

It was amazing to see the outpouring of support for The Center and Southern Nevada's LGBTQ community on Saturday. Not too long ago, something like this would have been considered unimaginable. Yet it happened on Saturday.

And now, The Center has a new home to serve the larger community. And Downtown Las Vegas has a new landmark. Hopefully, this will be the start of something amazing.

LV CityLife Gets It. Will the Rest of the City?

Here's an interesting curveball.

[...I]n the case of Chris Giunchigliani, what "career politician" really means is that she's spent two decades mastering the workings of the two largest non-fed governments in Nevada. She's racked up an enviable record of tangible achievement: creating the bond legislation that helped build more than 100 new schools without a property-tax hike; securing the funding for the Smith Center for the Performing Arts, one of the high points of Oscar Goodman's mayoralty; earning a solid reputation for supporting education (she spent years as a teacher).

So she's got skills. Enough that one of her constituents mounted a vote-for-Goodman campaign so as to keep Giunchigliani at the county.

Hers is the sort of hard-won expertise Las Vegas needs at this time. Some economists and politicians believe a recovery is under way; yet, as this endorsement is being composed, a worried headline tells us that housing prices have dropped to where they were in 1999, the year Goodman was elected. These, then, are enormously complicated times, and the city needs a leader -- however symbolic that leadership sometimes is -- who can expertly squeeze every bit of efficacy out of government.

And she is a leader. If she doesn't have Oscar-grade charisma, she does have a forceful presence. Some say she's abrasive; we say she doesn't suffer fools gladly. She'll call out staffers who don't do their jobs, yes -- but that's why we elect strong-willed people, to ensure that our representatives run the government, not the bureaucracy. Plus, she's fearless: As a commissioner she stood up to Republic Services and other big players without regard to the political consequences.

Wow. CityLife did what the other papers were too afraid to do. Instead of making "the safe pick", they actually endorsed who they believe is the best candidate.

So are Las Vegas voters doing the same? The LA Times actually noticed Las Vegas is having this election.

So Las Vegas barely bristled when Oscar ran his mouth about wanting to cart the homeless to an abandoned prison, open legal brothels in downtown Las Vegas and cut off the thumbs of graffiti taggers (none of which came to fruition). A grade-schooler once asked what he'd want if stranded on a deserted island. His answer: gin.

"Goodman is so prone to making outrageous and offensive comments, it is hard to be shocked by him anymore," a Las Vegas Sun editorial said in 2005. Two years later, he won his third four-year term with more than 80% of the vote.

Oscar's backers view him as a symbol of their devil-may-care city, which he defends with as much zeal as he once did reputed Mafiosos. They applaud him for railing against President Obama for saying bailout-funded executives shouldn't jet off to Las Vegas — though Oscar's fit probably drew more attention to the throwaway remark.

The Las Vegas mayor's role is mostly ceremonial. The mayor runs City Council meetings and can declare emergencies, but lacks veto power over the other six members of the council. Still, Oscar is credited with persuading nightclubs, art galleries and even a clinic devoted to brain health to open in still-scraggly downtown.

"When I go door to door, I find I'm running against a name ... people think it's Oscar they're supporting instead of Carolyn," said Giunchigliani, who's trying to push voters who normally blow off local elections to the polls. A former state lawmaker who bested more than a dozen contenders to face Carolyn Goodman in a runoff, she's been more focused on business licensing and urban planning than, for example, photographing a Playboy playmate (another Oscar stunt).

"He was flash and jazz more than substance," Giunchigliani said. "It worked then, but this is now."

And this is the problem that Las Vegas faces. I can say this because I travel to other "big cities" and talk to other "big city folk" who show looks of repulsion when I describe Las Vegas city government. It's really the 800 pound gorilla in the room that many here don't want to acknowledge.

So instead, we're seeing the unoriginal and pointless attack ads Carolyn Goodman is dumping onto our airwaves. Oh, and by the way, is this also Carolyn's awkward attempt to distance herself from Oscar? After all, he has espoused the exact same views on home rule, education funding, and state revenues that she's attacking Chris G for now.

It's sad to see Carolyn Goodman really has nothing else to run on. What is her plan for the city? Does she even have one? How will she create jobs? What will she do about the homeless downtown? What about revitalizing West Las Vegas? What about home foreclosures?

Oh wait, she actually does have a plan for that!



So how is Carolyn Goodman even earning votes? Poker chips? A celebrity endorsement or three? How does that really help Las Vegas?

Again, notice the contrast.





So what does Las Vegas need? And what do Las Vegas voters really want? I guess we'll know for sure next week.

Final Thoughts Before Early Voting

So early voting begins tomorrow in the final round Clark County municipal elections. As I said earlier this week, it's extremely important for us to participate, as local government is the government that most affects our daily lives. So now, on the eve of early voting, I'd like to make some final comments... And personal endorsements.

Henderson Ward 4 is definitely getting rough & tumble in the home stretch.



We've been seeing the accusations, the lies, the twists & turns, and so much more. I know it's easy to just dismiss it all and succumb to apathy. However, here's why we shouldn't.

Henderson faces difficult budget decisions. We need to think of new ways to bring jobs and businesses to town. We have older neighborhoods that need more TLC, as well as newer areas that can't be forgotten.

Henderson has plenty of challenges, and I think what was said on KNPR's "State of Nevada" yesterday really boils it down well for us. Go ahead and listen to that segment, then tell me which of the candidates actually has good ideas for Henderson, and wants to put some real thought into the work going forward on city council. This is why I will be voting (again) for Sam Bateman in Ward 4. He really seems to get it.

And what I've said about Las Vegas before also continues to stand.





Where does Carolyn Goodman stand on... Well, on ANY issues?! Ralston seemed to be back in touch with his cynical side in suggesting she "knows little, except how to win", but I'm hoping the people of Las Vegas expect more and better out of their mayor.

Now contrast that with this...



And with this segment on KNPR's "State of Nevada" this morning! Again, you tell me who has the ability to turn Las Vegas around and make the city work again. Whether or not you're good at pronouncing her last name, Chris Giunchigliani is very much someone who's interested in actually working for all the people of Las Vegas.

I'll have a couple more endorsements and suggestions up tomorrow morning. And whether or not you agree with my personal endorsements, I hope you vote in this election and make your own voice heard.

The Gloves Come Off...

The municipal campaigns are reaching home stretch, and the gloves are now coming off!



Well, what can I say? It may be "negative", but there is definitely truth to this. Come on... Try to make sense of this!



Why is Carolyn Goodman running? Seriously. I gave her a chance and waited to see what she would offer policy wise. So far, she just seems to be throwing out a whole lot of confusing hot air. I guess this is why she's been avoiding debates with Chris G.

In the mean time here in Henderson, this is getting more attention.





Yep, I finally received it in the mail. And while Mike Mayberry may be throwing a hissy fit over it, he still refuses to talk about whether or not he actually needs $40,000 per year in disability benefits... Or for that matter, whether his "fiscal conservative" platform actually means anything.

(And by the way, I still haven't heard any response from Mayberry's campaign on his explicit endorsement of homophobic and transphobic legislative bigotry.)





Look, I'm usually not one to enjoy negative campaign ads. They can be grating, annoying, and downright demeaning to the ("small d") democratic process. But when candidates refuse to meet with local voters and debate actual issues of substance, this is what ends up happening. Seriously, Carolyn Goodman and Mike Mayberry only have themselves to blame for not offering anything to allow for serious discussion of local policy.

Scenes from the Campaign Trail: AIDS Walk Las Vegas

It was a hot Sunday morning in Las Vegas, and over 8,000 people showed up to walk... To raise awareness, and raise money, to help Nevadans fighting HIV/AIDS. AFAN puts together the walk every year, and this time was simply amazing. There were a number of high-profile celebrities helping the cause, such as Penn & Teller (who show up every year!), Holly Madison, and 8 News Now's Chris Saldana.















And of course, we also had some fabulous elected officials join the party (and the cause) as well. State Senators David Parks (D-Paradise) & Ruben Kihuen (D-North Las Vegas), Assembly Member Elliot Anderson (D-Paradise), and Clark County Commissioner (and Las Vegas Mayoral Candidate!) Chris Giunchigliani (D-Las Vegas) all showed up, and they all had their walking shoes ready to go the distance with us!





And of course, our favorite Congresswoman was also there! And now that she's also running for US Senate, I'll suspect we'll be seeing plenty more of Shelley Berkley throughout the state in the weeks and months to come.



We even enjoyed some live entertainment... In addition to all the politicians' speeches. ;-)

The Jersey Boys came to perform (even a capella!)...



And so did Jabbawockeez!



All in all, we had a great time yesterday. And even better, we made a difference. I have quite a few dear friends living with HIV/AIDS, so I know they don't have easy lives. Trying to stay alive certainly isn't cheap. And while we've come a long way in the last 30 years, we still have to fight the stigma, the discrimination, and now the state & federal budget cuts threatening the lives of many thousands here in Nevada and millions more throughout the country.

That's why I walked yesterday.





And that's why I was so delighted to see so many other folks throughout the community walk as well. Together, we really can make a difference.

Scenes from the Campaign Trail: Stonewall @ Arts Factory

On Wednesday, Stonewall had its monthly meeting at The Arts Factory in Downtown Las Vegas. And as expected, there were some interesting guests. Coming off last week's nail-biter of a primary, Chris Giunchigliani dropped by to chat with folks on the state of the race and why she's "in it to win it".

She explained her commitment to "building a community a neighborhood at a time", why she was concerned about AB 548, getting film production studios to make more movies and TV shows in Las Vegas, and much more. When she's on a roll talking good policy, one just doesn't want her to stop.











Las Vegas Council candidate Bob Coffin also stopped by, and he also went into detail on some local policy matters on his mind. In particular, he was discussing the need to keep The 18b Arts District on the front burner as Downtown rehabilitation and renovation continues. Even as Fremont East is becoming the city's new "urban hot spot", Coffin was reminding the crowd that there are people and small businesses there in 18b that still need some TLC from the city.

Another interesting guest at Wednesday's gathering was Henderson City Council candidate Sam Bateman. He stopped by to thank Henderson members for supporting him, and to remind everyone that Ward 4 will be on the ballot again in June. He also discussed inner city redevelopment in Henderson, non-discrimination policies, and local government transparency.

Heh. And you thought everyone would be asking them about marriage and "Glee". ;-)

See, we queer folk can think bigger and more broadly. And it was nice to hear all this fun local policy talk at the Stonewall meeting. My ears kept ringing for joy!

Alas, if only the rest of the campaign season could be like this...

#oscarswife? Or Something More?

It's tawdry. It's titillating. And yes, it can be scandalous at times.

Wait, you thought I was talking about "Gigolos"? (the new show about Vegas male "escorts) Oh, no! This is Las Vegas' mayoral election.



There's renewed buzz over Carolyn Goodman not really knowing what The Dream Act is... Or even what Teach for America does (link es en espanol)...



And of course, I'm still trying to figure out what exactly what happened when she couldn't recall what domestic partnerships are, couldn't form an opinion on marriage equality, and talked about gay and lesbian couples forming "50/50 contracts". So obviously, there's a perception that Goodman isn't really ready for the job. Is that true? Or are some Las Vegans overreacting?

Last month, Las Vegas Weekly profiled Carolyn Goodman. And in profiling her, they caught a glimpse of her vision of Las Vegas...

Carolyn has a definite vision for the city, including bringing in more retiree dollars. “There’s a huge retiree population in Buffalo and Chicago that could come here with no income tax, corporate tax, estate tax and enjoy this wonderful weather,” she says.
Carolyn admits the city would need “massive advertisement” from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, as well as the Nevada Development Authority, to accomplish her goal, “but that’s got to be sold to them, and I think I have a persuasive voice and somewhat of an intellect.”

In addition to “putting a lot of emphasis into medical care” and “making sure the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Brain Institute takes advantage of continual growth,” Goodman hopes to nurture the city’s cultural element, including “attracting more young professionals Downtown” and getting a supermarket built there to service their needs. With the cost of gasoline rising, Goodman has an idea for the Strip: “The hotels should say, ‘Come here and we’ll give you a tank of gas to get home.’”

And wondered if maybe hers actually is unique and separate from Oscar's.

Goodman notes that, technically, the mayor’s office requires little beyond holding city council meetings and declaring emergencies, but adds, “Look at all Oscar was able to accomplish.” She says she’ll aggressively pursue bringing new businesses to Nevada that will create new jobs and that she’s ready to be a voice for the city. Like Oscar … minus the showgirls and martini glasses. “Oscar can get away with things, like Don Rickles, that I can’t imagine getting away with,” she says. “I don’t need publicity, I don’t like publicity. In fact, this is very disturbing for me because it’s not me. Oscar loves the flamboyance, but I’m an under-the-radar type person.”

So why run? Carolyn says it’s a direct result of the Goodmans’ strong bond. “You cannot love someone if you don’t trust and respect them.” She believed in his vision when he first ran in 1999, and she wants that vision—particularly Downtown redevelopment—to continue. “What he accomplished is amazing to me. That’s the only reason I filed, to see [the city] continue in that direction.”

But Carolyn is careful to point out that she hasn’t supported her husband on everything. The two have had differences, like the F Street closure. “It wasn’t that it was so terrible a thing. It was the symbolism of what it meant,” Carolyn says, referring to the perceived disenfranchisement of a historically black community. And she had words for Oscar after his scathing response to President Obama’s two slights of Las Vegas: “I said, ‘No matter what, he is the President, and in my opinion, you respect him.’”

So Carolyn Goodman is her own person?

And does she have the knowledge and experience needed for the job she's seeking? I really did catch interesting moments last month when I saw her first-hand at "The People's Debate". However Laura Martin went to even more debates and campaign forums, and she tried to poke deeper into the mystique of #oscarswife.

I attended almost all of the mayoral debates during the primary, and I noticed whenever Chris Giunchigliani talked about legislation or ordinances she worked on, #OscarsWife would roll her eyes or pass a look to her staff as if to say[,] "Now here she goes with all those facts and shit[.]"

Why the hate from OscarsWife?

Every time Chris G talks about her experience, OscarsWife [is] forced to admit that she has none. Every time Chris G describes in detail a bill, proposed legislation or policy, OscarsWife is exposed as not just a political neophyte, but a Sarah Palineqsue character who has no knowledge of current events and no ability to articulate any of the little knowledge she does have.

There's certainly no question of Chris Giunchigliani's sharp intellect, or of her strong work ethic. She will certainly prove to be a formidable challenger. So is Carolyn Goodman up to the challenge that may be far greater than initial poll numbers suggest?

The first debate next week may prove to be quite pivotal. It may be Carolyn's chance to prove she's more than just #oscarswife. Can she rise to this occasion?

The Morning After: Let's See What Happened!

Here are the municipal primary results. And here is how election night was spent throughout the valley.



We started in Henderson, where both Gerri Schroder and Debra March surprisingly coasted to outright wins with 54% each! I first stopped at Debra's party, and we were eagerly awaiting those first early vote numbers. And as soon as we heard them, I had a good feeling.

Debra was quite upbeat, and the local Henderson crowd was getting pumped up. Ah, the scent of victory!



Gerri's party was next. I must say she had the best food of the bunch, as well as the snazziest room at The Henderson Convention Center. And the mood here was quite upbeat as the numbers kept pouring in and Gerri stayed well above 50%. Despite the powerful opposition and last minute attacks on her personal finances and her marriage, Gerri prevailed.

Score another one for Team NVP! ;-)





From there, it was onto Las Vegas, where the campaigning was hot and the results were tight! In Ward 3, Bob Coffin and Adriana Martinez were neck and neck all night, with Martinez starting narrowly ahead in the early vote but Coffin finishing just 49 votes ahead.

Adriana's party was full of energy, and full of people young and old, black and white and brown, men and women, and so much more. The music was blasting and people were dancing. Oh yes, and Nevada's top cop, Catherine Cortez Masto, even made a guest appearance!





At Larry Brown's party last night, tension and nerves were in the air. The dancers may have been juggling fire outside, but inside The Arts Factory Brown's team was busy analyzing the results and juggling its own fire. They were most definitely in for the ride of their lives!

I had a chance to talk with Larry last night, and he really sounded frustrated over the mess he fell into last week. He said he SUPPORTS SB 283 domestic partnerships, and that he does not favor any sort of anti-LGBT discrimination. I still don't understand why he would even bother answering Richard Ziser's insanely stupid questionnaire, but hopefully he's learned his lesson with this. I just find it sad that such a smart guy would get caught in such a silly and stupid clusterf*ck like that.





And oh my, did we save the best for last, or what! After all the drama, all the highs and lows, and all the insanity of Las Vegas' first round of mayoral campaigning, Chris Giunchigliani scored the #2 slot to face Carolyn Goodman in the June runoff.

And oh yes, this race is far from over! Chris G made sure her crowd of supporters knew that last night. She even took to Twitter to reiterate the point! Indeed, "This is when the fun begins."

Of course, there are even more local results to talk about and even more to discuss as the June runoff campaign starts today. The fun will really be underway throughout Southern Nevada this spring!

April Fools? Las Vegas' Mayoral Race Devolves to Silly Season (& My Last Minute Endorsement)

Face, meet palm...

Several of the leading candidates for Las Vegas mayor have come under fire this week for their surprising lack of knowledge about basic current events.

First, at a debate Wednesday night hosted by Si Se Puede, a Democratic Hispanic group, City Councilman Steve Ross was left speechless by a question asking whether he supports the DREAM Act, which would create a path to citizenship for qualifying undocumented young people who were brought to this country as children.

"I don't know enough about that to answer one way or the other," Ross said.

The DREAM Act has dominated headlines for years and is of particular interest in Nevada because of its support and advocacy by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Las Vegas students have protested to advance the measure, and supporters and opponents have written dozens of editorials on the topic.

And if that wasn't bad enough, try to follow the (lack of) logic of Carolyn Goodman's stance on domestic partnerships and marriage equality as Steve Friess tried to get a coherent answer out of her this week.

A crystallized commentary on that for me is difficult because you know I am about the rights of the human being but I’m also about legal rights. I’m certainly accepting of anybody and anybody’s rights to determine for themselves their own lifestyle as long as it’s not causing problems for anybody else and it’s legal. One of the things I remember asking years ago of my uncle who is a very astute lawyer because I didn’t understand, I had many friends and I’ve had friends all my life who are gay. I said I don’t understand why a legal contract wuldn’t suffice to bind two people together. You and I would have a legal contract, same sex let’s say, and I would agree that everything that’s mine it’s 50-50. If I die you would get everything, split down the middle. All I would say is why a legal binding contract wouldn’t work for a couple.

To be fair, Goodman's campaign manager, Bradley Mayer, later texted Friess to clarify that she SUPPORTS SB 283 and would not favor any effort to repeal domestic partnerships. Still, I'm baffled as to why she couldn't just spit that out to Friess when she had a chance to.

And what's with none of these candidates (save for Chris Giunchigliani, clearly the ONLY serious and qualified candidate running!) knowing anything on The DREAM Act? Don't any of them remember anything from last year's campaign?



Or are Larry Brown and Steve Ross joining Victor Chaltiel in courting the Sharrontology vote?



Carolyn Goodman really needs to brush up on her facts if she's serious about being Las Vegas' next Mayor, and both Steve Ross and Larry Brown should be ashamed of themselves for stooping down to such base homophobia and xenophobia just to court the "Christian Taliban" teabaggers who will never vote for either of them anyway. It's embarrassing that Las Vegas' mayoral candidates are mostly rich with embarrassments, and it's frustrating that all the rest of us who live outside the city have to see our issues get eclipsed by media frenzy over "teh stupid, it hurts".



Apparently, Chris Giunchigliani is the only candidate willing to take this job seriously and do her homework. Oh, and it also helps that she's always been pro-equality and she doesn't change her answers just to pander to xenophobes.

Mr. H8 Rears His Ugly, Bigoted Head... AGAIN!

In case you were wondering when perpetual professional bigot Richard Ziser would start attacking Nevada families again, we now know he's back and he's trying to shove more than a few anti-equality zealots down our throats in this year's Clark County Municipal Elections. What? You don't believe me? Here's the voter guide!

Now just to be clear, the candidates supporting #6 are saying LGBTQ families deserve no legal recognition and no human dignity. The candidates opposing #7 and #12 want our schools to do nothing as LGBTQ kids to be bullied to death (often literally!). Basically, the candidates who are standing with Richard Ziser agree to carry out his agenda to attack many thousands of Southern Nevada families just for who they are.

In addition, these candidates want to take away women's right to make their own health care decisions. And they want to take away our religious freedom. And they want to waste time (and our local tax dollars!) on xenophobia.

Here in Henderson, city council candidates Ed Hamilton, John Simmons, Ron Hubel, and Mike Mayberry are pro-bigotry. In North Las Vegas, Carl Gatson and Wade Wagner are pro-bigotry. In Las Vegas, Steve Ross is apparently pro-bigotry again. And you can read the rest of the list to see who to watch out for in other Clark County cities.

I just thought you should know.

V for Sharrontology?

He seemed to arrive as a benevolent suitor, as someone who was "here to help". But slowly as time goes by, he reveals his true self.







"V for Victor" Chaltiel turns out to be just another Sharrontology clone!

Victor Chaltiel, the local businessman outspending all of his rivals on TV, is out with a mailer labeling four other candidates as liberals. He has brief descriptions of each in the piece, which I have posted at right.

My guess is this was sent to Republicans and independents, although his campaign won't confirm.

How do I know it is V for Victor? That's his home address on the piece.

I always knew he'd reveal his true intentions at some point. He really is running to be Sheldon Adelson's radical right lackey in City Hall.

So do Las Vegas voters really want teabagger insanity plaguing local government? Do they want a Sharron Angle wannabe running the show? Or would they like more effective government for a change?

Scenes from the Campaign Trail: Chris G House Party in Las Vegas

(As campaign season heats up in the final days before early voting begins, I'll be going around the valley and looking at who's doing what.)







Last night, Chris Giunchigliani's campaign hosted a house party, debate watch party, and birthday party (for some special supporters) last night. Above and below are the sights and sounds of what happened at The Arts Factory.

Steve Ross' Response

After a firestorm of controversy erupted over his remarks on "not having an opportunity" to do a single thing to advance LGBTQ equality in Las Vegas, Steve Ross sent a letter to set the record straight (pun not intended).

[Due to a request that it be removed for reasons of privacy, the letter can not be posted.]

My Take on "The People's Debate"

The bumper car ride came to Santa Fe Station last night, and I'm still a little shaken from it. Last night was "The People's Debate". And while some great questions were offered, not all the answers matched that caliber.

- Gadfly extraordinaire Larry Jeppesen talked on and on about his mini electric car and how horrible (he thinks) local government is. At one point, he wore a plastic firefighter hat with fake money attached to it. Need I say more?

- George Harris took this forum as an opportunity to just plain bash government. He demanded that "government get out of the way" of private investment, even though this may be the time when Las Vegas needs investment in public infrastructure the most.

- Ed Uehling also jumped on the "I Hate Guv'mint!!!" bandwagon, and kept obsessing over foreign tourists. Seriously, he's stuck in a time warp.



Hint: Our problem has been overdependence on casinos. And grandstanding on "big guv'mint" is just stupid.

- Marlene Rogoff was the only "minor candidate" with actual, serious answers on development, environmental preservation, and job creation. It's a shame a couple of the "major candidates" get more attention with their blathering nonsense.

- Victor Chaltiel basically proved that he has no clue how to do the job he's running for, as he contradicted himself on public employee contracts, refused to answer questions he didn't want, and sometimes threw out totally nonsensical statements that I would have expected from the more unhinged gadflies. I guess Sheldon Adelson didn't give him the crib notes beforehand?

- And then there was Steve Ross. Where do I start? He contradicted himself on development, kept throwing out talk of "JOBS!!!" without much of any specifics, couldn't think of a single thing he's done to advance LGBTQ equality in Las Vegas, then bolted early. And this is "Working Man Steve Ross"? Give me a break.

- Carolyn Goodman had her good moments. She made a good point on "bigger not always better" when it comes to local government consolidation, and she had the best answer of the night on why Vegas isn't better at job creation. However on green collar jobs and local zoning, she punted with canned lines on "staying out of the private sector's way". Hey, isn't local government there for a reason? So she wasn't perfect, but she was also far from bad.

- Chris Giunchigliani clearly did her homework before last night, and it showed well. She handled questions on ecotourism, neighborhood redevelopment and reinvestment, streamlining business fees, and green collar jobs incredibly well. She was one of the only people on the stage last night who had me on the edge of my seat.

- Larry Brown was the other one. When he explained the intricacies of privileged gaming licenses, I knew he knew what he's supposed to do in local government. He also handled a question on keeping master-planned communities as planned quite well. He also talked about public-private partnerships on green-collar jobs, and getting public works projects on line soon.

And the verdict? I already gave mine. What's yours?

Larry Brown for a Change?

I must admit it. I was surprised last night... In a good way. Watch.



Larry Brown has made a niche for himself as "The Budget Hawk", but there's much more to him than just that. He's been busy meeting voters throughout Las Vegas... When he's not ruffling feathers at the Clark County Fire Department or shooting down proposals for a Downtown "Red Light District".

What is he thinking? Does he expect to actually take this job seriously?



Larry Brown said some interesting things at Stonewall last night. Let's see if he actually can take Las Vegas in a new direction.

Wednesday in Brief

Here's what I'm following today:

- Signs of the end being near? Perhaps not yet, but The Legislature and Brian Sandoval might actually agree on something. (Now let's see if they can build on this federal grants bill and eventually get a sane budget passed!) (RGJ)

- But here's yet another distressing sign of the times: Washoe County may start CLOSING schools. (RGJ)

- Will it or won't it? Western Nevada College may also stand on the brink of closing, depending on whom you believe. (NV Appeal)

- It's so easy to stereotype Las Vegas as a "silly place", but Clark County Commissioner and Las Vegas Mayoral Candidate Larry Brown (D) is looking to hit that out of the park should he win. (Sun)

- And guess who wants to fix Las Vegas' schools? She may not have any direct role in public education policy, but that isn't stopping Las Vegas Mayoral Candidate Carolyn Goodman (I) from promising to fix it. (Sun)

Who's Listening to Us?

We see money scandals. We see discussions behind closed doors. And we see outrageous talk on some awfully funny issues.



Oh, and we hear about conflicting poll data.

But wait, what about us?











Yesterday, I was out walking in Sun City Anthem with Sam Bateman, one of the candidates for Henderson City Council. What I heard up the hill yesterday was quite interesting. Despite who held which title and who's on whose team, people are still making up their minds.

This seemed to confirm what I've heard from friends and family around these parts. They're looking at failed development projects and wondering how to clean up the mess. They're looking at the challenge ahead of balancing redevelopment needs Downtown with ensuring other parts of town continue to age gracefully. They're looking at the city budget and want to make sure their tax dollars are being spent wisely.

And despite how some might interpret recent name recognition polls, a number of voters have yet to make up their minds.

And I suspect we're seeing similar dynamics at play in Las Vegas.



So who's listening to us? This may be the critical question going into the primary, which actually starts with early voting this month.

Who's listening to us? Who's doing the most voter outreach? Who's paying attention to what potential constituents are saying? Even in this age of digital everything, those regular one-on-one conversations with real people will likely make the difference, more so than any TV ad, mailer, or flashy event.